Just 13 goals, the second lowest aggregate in the history of the venue, were kicked when Western Bulldogs took on St Kilda at Docklands on Friday night. But importantly for St Kilda, they scored one more than the Bulldogs to take out a crucial 3-point victory.The early stages of the match were similar to last year’s preliminary final between the two sides, with no quarter asked or given in a ferocious, hard-tackling affair. The Bulldogs led by 6 points at the first change, and winning the second and third quarters as well took a 17-point lead into three-quarter time. In a low-scoring contest, the lead looked enough of a buffer that the Bulldogs appeared destined for victory.But the Saints stepped up a gear in the final term, holding the Bulldogs goal-less. Goals to Stephen Milne and David Armitage cut the margin back to within a kick; and then Sam Fisher kicked truly at the 25-minute mark, the Saints had taken the lead for the first time. The Bulldogs got the centre break and moved forward, but were unable to find a way to score and the Saints held on for the final siren and a crucial 4 points.The result ensures St Kilda maintain a share of the competition lead, while the Saints remain mid-table, 2 games behind. Lenny Hayes with 35 possessions and Leigh Montagna with 34 led the way in the midfield. For the Bulldogs, Jarrod Harbrow was in the thick of the action, getting a touch of the footy 36 times.St Kilda 1.2 2.3 4.3 7.7 (49)Western Bulldogs 2.2 3.7 6.8 6.10 (46)Goals : St Kilda – D Armitage 2, S Milne 2, S Fisher, J Koschitzke, J Steven. Bulldogs – D Giansiracusa, R Griffen, M Hahn, B Hall, S Higgins, J Roughead.Best : St Kilda – L Hayes, L Montagna, B Goddard, N Dal Santo, A McQualter, S Gilbert. Bulldogs – L Gilbee, D Giansiracusa, J Harbrow, M Hahn, A Cooney, B Lake.Injuries : St Kilda – Nil. Western Bulldogs – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Rosebury, Meredith, Pannell.Crowd - 43,702 at Docklands.

Melbourne’s winning streak is over despite a good third quarter comeback, as North Melbourne held the Demons out and took control in the last quarter to win by 26 points at Docklands on Saturday.The Demons started the match full of confidence, which grew even more when Brad Green kicked the first goal of the match in the opening minute. But the Kangaroos were not easily daunted by the challenge, and by quarter time had got themselves in front. And with a 5 goals to 1 second quarter, the Kangaroos stretched their lead to 34 points at half time.With the first two goals of the third term, the Kangaroos were 47 points clear and looking set to cruise to an easy win. But suddenly the Demons rallied and got their game going. A run of six straight goals in the last 20 minutes of the quarter cut the margin back to 14 points, and suddenly the game was back in the balance. But the three quarter time break ended the Demons’ momentum and the Kangaroos steadied; a run of 5 goals to 3 for the quarter extending the winning margin to a more comfortable 26 points.After an indifferent start to the year, the Kangaroos have won 2 on the trot and find themselves level on points with Melbourne, with both the Kangaroos and the Demons out of the top 8 on percentage. But for the Demons, it was an opportunity lost to join the ranks of the competition’s elite in the top half of the table.North Melbourne 3.3 8.7 10.12 15.14 (104)Melbourne 2.1 3.3 9.4 12.6 (78)Goals : North Melbourne – S Wright 3, D Hale 3, L Anthony 2, D Wells 2, A Swallow, T Goldstein, B Harvey, H McIntosh, B Warren. Melbourne – B Green 4, R Petterd 2, M Bate, L Dunn, C Sylvia, J Trengove, M Jamar, C Bartram.Best : North Melbourne – A Swallow, L Anthony, D Wells, H McIntosh, S Thompson, B Rawlings. Melbourne – J Grimes, L Dunn, B Green, J McDonald, C Bruce, A Davey.Injuries : North Melbourne – Nil. Melbourne – J McKenzie (general soreness) replaced in the selected side by J Rivers, R Petterd (shoulder).Reports – Nil. Umpires - Donlon, Margetts, Keating.Crowd - 26,763 at Docklands.

Adelaide’s first win of the season continues to elude them, after the Crows went down to arch-rivals Port Adelaide by 23 points in the Showdown at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.A free-flowing and entertaining opening quarter saw the lead change hands numerous times, with the Crows leading by a point at the first change. With three goals to two in the second term, the advantage was stretched to 9 points, and despite Port’s best efforts in the third term the Crows still held a 7-point lead at the last change.But the first 10 minutes of the final quarter was a comprehensive performance that turned the fortunes of the game. Five unanswered goals turned the deficit into a four-goal lead for the Power, and a winning margin was set up that the Crows were never a chance to turn around. It was a sudden change in fortunes in a match that since quarter time had looked as though the Crows were doing just enough.Robbie Gray was the principal destroyer, kicking 5 goals in a best-on-ground performance, while Kane Cornes with 29 possessions was also instrumental in Port’s success. The result sees Port move into the top 8, while the Crows remain stuck without a win.Port Adelaide 4.1 6.4 8.9 14.13 (97)Adelaide 4.2 7.7 9.10 10.14 (74)Goals : Port Adelaide – R Gray 5, B Ebert 2, D Cassisi 2, J Schulz, D Pearce, J Westhoff, W Tredrea, C Cornes. Adelaide – J Porplyzia 3, K Tippett 3, R Douglas 2, A McLeod, S Stevens.Best : Port Adelaide – R Gray, K Cornes, D Pearce, D Cassisi, T Chaplin, C Cornes. Adelaide – T Edwards, B Reilly, G Johncock, S Stevens, J Porplyzia, A McLeod.Injuries : Port Adelaide – Nil. Adelaide – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Stewart, Schmitt, Ryan.Crowd - 40,371 at AAMI Stadium.

The final home and away round last season saw Essendon cost Hawthorn a finals berth, and the Bombers again proved to be the Hawks’ nemesis on Saturday night when the Bombers stunned the Hawks by 43 points at the MCG.There’s never any love lost when the Bombers take on the Hawks, and this was to be another spiteful clash, physical and with plenty of contests behind play. Essendon’s David Hille and Andrew Welsh were reported. But on the scoreboard, it was the Bombers who had the edge.The Bombers go the early jump to lead by 23 points at the first change. But the Hawks fought back in the second term to cut the margin back to within 2 goals; and the 2 goal margin still stood at the last change. But, despite the Hawks’ best efforts, they were never able to take the lead. And the final quarter saw Hawthorn’s campaign derail, held scoreless as the Bombers blew the margin out with four unanswered goals.Michael Hurley kicked 4 for the Bombers to spearhead their charge, while Nathan Lovett-Murray and Brent Stanton were ball magnets with over 30 possessions. For the Hawks, Lance Franklin played a lone hand up forward with 5 goals; but the loss for the Hawks sees them crash into the bottom four, and needing something to kick-start their season.Essendon 5.4 7.6 11.9 15.16 (106)Hawthorn 1.5 5.8 9.9 9.9 (63)Goals : Essendon – M Hurley 4, A Davey 2, S Gumbleton, D Hille, S Lonergan, A Monfries, B Prismall, P Ryder, B Stanton, J Watson, D Zaharakis. Hawthorn – L Franklin 5, C Young 2, C Bateman, M Osborne.Best : Essendon – N Lovett-Murray, B Prismall, B Stanton, J Watson, J Winderlich, D Hille. Hawthorn – L Franklin, C Young, L Hodge, C Bateman, B Renouf, B Sewell.Injuries : Essendon – R Dyson (knee), M Hurley (knee). Hawthorn - Nil.Reports : Essendon – D Hille for engaging in rough conduct against C Young in the second quarter. A Welsh for striking X Ellis in the third quarter.Umpires - McLaren, Chamberlain, Kamolins.Crowd - 61,006 at MCG.

Sydney maintained their status as the competition’s surprise ladder leader when the Swans completed a 20-point win over Brisbane at the SCG on Saturday night.Playing against his old club, Daniel Bradshaw was the chief destroyer with 6 goals. Kieran Jack and Nick Malceski were also ball magnets for the Swans. Brisbane were well served up forward by the two-pronged forward lineup of Brendan Fevola and Jonathan Brown, who kicked 4 goals apiece; but it was the Swans who created the superior attacking options.The game started explosively, with Jude Bolton being knocked out in a collision; and when Mark Seaby also departed early with an ankle injury the Swans were down to two on the bench after only five minutes. The Lions capitalised with Jonathan Brown scoring the first two goals of the match. But suddenly the tide turned, and the Swans stepped up a gear. The Swans would kick the last five goals of the quarter to lead by 17 points at quarter time; and by half time the lead was out to 26 points.The third quarter was a shootout. The Lions threw caution to the wind, throwing all their resources up forward to score some goals to reduce the deficit. And the goals came, with the Lions scoring 6 for the quarter; but the attacking play backfired at times, with the Swans capitalising to score 7 themselves and win the quarter.By now the Swans had no bench, the injuries continuing to mount. They were unable to kick a goal in the last quarter, but their buffer was sufficient that the Lions were never a chance to steal the game.Sydney 5.1 9.5 16.8 16.11 (107)Brisbane 2.2 5.3 11.4 13.9 (87)Goals : Sydne y – D Bradshaw 6, A Goodes 3, J Bolton 2, N Smith 2, J Moore, K Jack, N Malceski. Brisbane – B Fevola 4, J Brown 4, T Banfield 3, M Leuenberger, J Polkinghorne.Best : Sydney – K Jack, N Malceski, R O’Keefe, D Bradshaw, H Grundy, J McVeigh. Brisbane – J Brown, J Redden, M Rischitelli, T Banfield, M Clark, T Selwood.Injuries : Sydney - J Bolton (concussion), M Seaby (ankle), D Hannebery (shoulder), R O'Keefe (concussion), T Richards (ankle). Brisbane – M Maguire (concussion).Reports – Nil. Umppires - Vozzo, McBurney, Wenn.Crowd - 30,975 at SCG.

After a disappointing performance against Carlton last week, Geelong bounced back in style at Skilled Stadium on Sunday when they comprehensively demolished Richmond to win by 108 points.The Cats went into the game as the hottest of favourites, and Paul Chapman was on the board in the opening minute to get the Cats’ juggernaut quickly on track. It was the first of seven unanswered goals in the first quarter, a lead of 42 points at the first change. Joel Selwood was unstoppable, with 25 possessions in the first half on his way to 36 for the game. The second term saw fourth-game player James Podsiadly take over as spearhead, his three second quarter goals assisting the Cats to a 68 point half time lead.The third term was Cam Mooney’s time to shine, and despite his well-known problems with kicking set shots, there were no problems this time as he, like his team-mates, was converting goals at will with a bag of three for the quarter. And in the final term, Steve Johnson took his turn with three final quarter goals to take his tally to 5 in a best on ground performance.As dominant as Geelong were, Richmond were atrocious. Far too many errors and turnovers prevented them from putting the Cats under and pressure whatsoever. But the Cats were unstoppable, their midfield assuming total dominance and with so many goal-scoring options they had little difficulty in keeping the scoreboard ticking over.Geelong 7.2 13.7 19.10 24.17 (161)Richmond 0.2 2.5 4.9 7.11 (53)Goals : Geelong - C Mooney 5, J Podsiadly 5, S Johnson 5, S Byrnes 3, M Duncan 2, P Chapman 2, T Hawkins, T Varcoe. Richmond - J Riewoldt 3, B Nason 2, M Farmer, R Nahas.Best : Geelong – S Johnson, P Chapman, J Kelly, J Selwood, C Mooney, S Byrnes. Richmond – S Tuck, B Deledio, C Newman, B Cousins, J Riewoldt, A Collins.Injuries : Geelong – P Chapman (shin). Richmond – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Grunn, Jennings, Jeffery.Crowd - 24,106 at Skilled Stadium.

Collingwood maintained their position in the top 4 when they took control against the inconsistent Carlton to run away to a 53-point win in front of a blockbuster crowd of over 80,000 at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.The first quarter was evenly contested, with the Magpies leading by a goal at quarter time. But the Magpies got on a roll in the second tem, leading by 39 points as the clock ticked into time-on before three late Carlton goals pulled the margin back to a more manageable 23 points at half time.The third term was a shootout. Six goals apiece were scored, as the Blues created plenty of chances to get back into the contest but their defence were leaking plenty of goals to the red-hot Magpie forward line. And with the Blues unable to make any impact on the deficit during the third quarter, the last quarter was a blowout as the Magpies put on 7 goals to 3.The midfield duo of Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury were again prominent ball-winners, with 31 possessions apiece. It was a day for spreading the goal-kicking honours around for the Magpies, with 13 of their team raising two flags from the goal umpires. For the Blues, Chris Judd was magnificent; and despite his team being so badly beaten, the 2004 Brownlow Medallist still managed to pick up 37 possessions. Kade Simpson with 31 was also a ball magnet for the Blues.Collingwood 4.2 11.6 17.8 24.11 (155)Carlton 3.2 7.2 13.5 16.6 (102)Goals : Collingwood - C Dawes 3, L Ball 3, P Medhurst 3, A Didak 2, D Beams 2, S Sidebottom 2, S Wellingham 2, T Cloke 2, D Jolly, D Swan, D Thomas, H O'Brien, S Pendlebury. Carlton - S O'hAilpin 5, E Betts 3, M Murphy 3, C Yarran 2, J Garlett, R Houlihan, S White.Best : Collingwood – D Swan, L Ball, S Pendlebury, S Wellingham, T Cloke, C Dawes. Carlton – K Simpson, C Judd, M Murphy, P Bower, S O’hAilpin, B Gibbs.Injuries : Collingwood – Nil. Carlton – Nil.Reports – Nil. Umpires - M Stevic, R Findlay, S McInerney.Crowd - 80,645 at MCG.

The Western Australia derby is always a tough and hard-fought affair, and so it was to be again on Sunday evening. And for the 6th time in a row, Fremantle would emerge with bragging rights from the derby after the Dockers were 38 points too good for West Coast.The Dockerwith a s led by a point at quarter time, but after kicking 4 goals to 3 in the second term, the Eagles led by 8 points at the long break. But the Fremantle defence tightened, holding the Eagles goal-less in the third term while adding three goals to see the Dockers 10 points clear at the last change. And the final term was one-way traffic, a run of 7 goals to 2 for the quarter turning a game that looked destined for a close finish into a far more comfortable Fremantle victory.Michael Barlow continued his stellar debut season, being awarded the Ross Glendinning Medal as best on ground in his first derby. Matthew Pavlich with 5 goals and David Mundy with plenty of possessions were also prominent performers for the Dockers. The result sees the Dockers remain comfortably in the top 4, a continuation of a strong opening of the season for 2010’s surprise packed team. But not so encouraging for West Coast, who have only achieved one victory from the first six games and are well out of the 8.Fremantle 4.2 7.4 10.7 17.9 (111)West Coast 4.1 8.6 8.9 10.13 (73)Goals : Fremantle – M Pavlich 5, M Johnson 3, N Fyfe 2, C Mayne 2, R Hayden 2, R Palmer, A Sandilands, M Barlow. West Coast – J Kennedy 3, M LeCras 2, D Cox, T Swift, C Masten, S Hurn, W Schofield.Best : Fremantle – M Pavlich, M Barlow, D Mundy, A Sandilands, P Duffield, M Johnson. West Coast – M Priddis, B Ebert, T Swift, D Cox, A Selwood, M LeCras.Injuries : Fremantle – Nil. West Coast – C Masten (knee).Reports : West Coast - A Embley for rough conduct on H Ballantyne in the first quarter.Umpires - Farmer, Kennedy, Hay.Crowd - 40,886 at Subiaco Oval.